The love we share
by Avenger 22
Summary: After the initial defeat of the Skrull Empire Nick Fury still has some cleaning up to to do. And big time! He sends the Black Widow to a mysterious warehouse that's full of Skrulls. Somehow, Winter Soldier comes to her aid along with another new hero. As the mission drags on, Widow finds that she's fallen in love with this ex-assassin. But can she keep him?


The love we share

_Zap. Zap. Zap. _Went the Black Widow's gun as she shot at a group of Skrulls. There were a fair amount of them and Widow couldn't contact anyone to help her with them. She knew she didn't need help fighting Skrulls. She had been doing battle with them for months. At least, ever since she had found Nick Fury. That had been a couple months ago and yet Widow still felt overwhelmed against Skrulls.

Usually if she had a problem, Quake would come and help her. But not tonight. For some reason Daisy Johnson had asked for a separate assignment. And unfortunately Fury had granted it. Widow still thought over the possible reasons she could have asked for it, but tried not to dwell on it.

Three of the Skrulls went down when she shot them. That left five who summoned three more. She grit her teeth in frustration. This was the last thing she needed. How many Skrulls were in that warehouse anyway? And what were they doing that was so important anyway?

Whatever it was it was important to Nick Fury. She shoved the thought aside as she continued to fight. Unfortunately none of them engaged her in melee combat. At first she had been glad. Now it was just annoying and she wished they would. She couldn't gain an advantage if this long range combat persisted.

She had been pursuing this warehouse for a week. If tonight didn't present results then she would just abandon it altogether. Whether Fury wanted this warehouse she wasn't going to hunt these Skrulls any longer.

Close to Widow's location was another figure, watching from a nearby rooftop. He was tall, daunting and muscular. He had medium dark chocolate hair and wore a black mask over his light blue eyes. He held a pair of small field glasses up to his face. He watched Widow's situation intently.

It was a bitter winter's night in Brooklyn. The sun had long since set and the wind howled. Snow fell from the sky, swirling and dancing as it descended to the ground. The ground was covered in it but at least the roads had been plowed. The only sounds that were heard were the shooting between the mysterious woman and the Hydra agents she was fighting.

_What the hell is this woman doing fighting Hydra agents? Doesn't she know she's going to get herself killed? _He asked himself as he leaned over the edge of the rooftop. His interested waxed as the battle waged on.

Not that he could blame her. Hydra was a fickle bunch that didn't give up easily. He knew from personal experience.

He continued to watch her, the questions repeating themselves in his mind. He wasn't sure if he should get involved. She seemed to be holding her own, for the most part. For several nights in a row now he had watched her struggle. Struggle to get into that warehouse which seemed to be important for whoever she was working for.

Eventually Winter Soldier gave an exasperated sigh and made his way to the streets. If he was going to help this woman it was now or never. He checked to make sure his weapon was loaded.

Back on the lawn of the warehouse, Widow didn't know if she could keep up the fight much longer. She knew she had to act quickly if she was to call for assistance. She tried to keep the Skrulls at a distance but they continued inching ever closer. They knew they had her cornered and she would be defenseless.

Her gun was shot out of her hand. It landed on the ground near her feet. She got into a battle stance. She readied herself for hand-to-hand combat. That was, until she heard a voice. It was deep and masculine.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Widow and her challengers turned to where the voice had come from.

The man was tall and extremely muscular. He had medium brunet hair and wore a dark costume. His left arm looked artificial and had a red star at the top. He wore a small black mask over his light blue eyes. Straightaway Widow recognized him from the S.H.I.E.L.D files.

Widow's feet froze as she looked from the Winter Soldier to the Skrulls. They looked as shocked as she did. She wondered how long Winter Soldier had been watching her. She had known seen him earlier in the week but didn't think that he had stayed. She pushed the thought aside knowing that this would be her only chance to retrieve her weapon.

The Skrulls replied to his arrival by raising their weapons at him. When they spoke it sounded monotonous. As if they were machines," Designation, Winter Soldier. A.k.a James Buchanan Barnes."

Winter Soldier seemed taken aback by this information. However he didn't appear at all deterred by it," Well it doesn't matter who I am because I'm going to kick your ass." He raised his own weapon at them with a sly grin on his face and shot.

The Skrulls began shooting at Winter Soldier in turn. Eventually he hit one of them in the chest. After he had done this he turned to Widow," This might be a good time to grab your weapon now." He instructed and Widow nodded in agreement.

She grabbed her gun out of the snow, which was freezing to the touch and recommenced shooting. This time the Skrulls looked like they were disappearing faster. Widow didn't know what it was about him that made that happen.

Throughout the conflict the two seemed to take down more Skrulls than when Widow had been by herself. Several times she had stolen glimpses at him. She knew that she should stay focused on her mission. Yet she couldn't help herself. She found herself mysteriously attracted to him.

She saw herself analyzing him. As if he was some sort of specimen. She couldn't help but notice that his costume accented his muscles. The way the harsh winter wind brushed his hair away from his face. She shook her head out of her revere as she refocused herself.

At that moment, one of the Skrulls stopped firing and headed for the couple. Widow engaged him, taking his arm and twisting his body away from hers. Getting a tight grip on it she kicked him hard away from her.

"So what business do you have with Hydra? You do know they're a pain in the ass, don't you?" He asked honestly curious as to why she'd taken on Hydra alone. He sent a Skrull flying face first into the rough snowy ground.

Widow nodded as two more came at her. One of them she kicked with the heel of her foot," It's not Hydra I have business with. It's the Skrulls." She punched the other under the chin and then kicked him in the groin. He doubled over and for good measure she flung him aside.

Winter Soldier was silent for a moment as if contemplating this. When he responded his voice revealed confusion," What are Skrulls?"

Widow had almost forgotten that he hadn't been present during the Secret Invasion. She shook her head continuing to shoot at the Skrulls that didn't advance," Shape shifting aliens that attempted to take over the world."

"Did they succeed?" He inquired grunting as he twisted a Skrull's arm and threw them aside.

Widow shook her head as her foot connected with the groin of another Skrull," No." She grunted as the Skrull landed on the ground beside her.

So far the Black Widow and Winter Soldier seemed to have the upper hand. Nonetheless Widow knew it wasn't cause for celebration. At least not yet. There were still more Skrulls in the warehouse. Now all she had to do was capture them before the night was over. Then she could take them in for interrogation and learn more about their plans.

She continued to engage the dumb ass Skrulls that decided to fight Widow or Winter Soldier hand-to-hand. Hopefully they would all decide to sooner or later.

As time dragged on Widow and Winter Soldier were beginning to lose their foothold. No matter how many Skrulls were defeated more replaced them. The number of Skrulls in the warehouse appeared to be infinite.

"We're losing ground," Groaned Widow as she side kicked a Skrull in the face," What do you suggest we do?" She asked stealing a quick glance at him.

His face was drenched in perspiration and deep in concentration. He shot another Skrull then turned to face her," I don't know. If we don't come up with something soon, we're toast."

Widow's mind raced for any ideas. With every new one that came up to mind she began to lose hope.

Soon enough the two were encompassed by a large cluster of Skrulls. Each of the Skrulls wore malevolent expressions. All had their weapons were pointed towards the pair. Just as Widow was about to do something desperate she saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was a deep red, almost like fire.

It came down from the sky in a stream. Some of the Skrulls spread themselves apart. As if they were trying to avoid the coming torrent of flame.

At that moment, everybody froze. Widow heard the sound of heels crunching under the new fallen snow. She tried to think of who it could be. Someone the Skrulls were apparently afraid of or at least appeared to be.

More sparks appeared on the scene coming closer this time. Once it neared the outside ring of Skrulls they seemed to back away from it. As if the fire were attacking them. Widow shot a quick glimpse at Winter Soldier. He had a small grin on his face as if he knew what was happening. Widow now realized what was occurring.

She turned to where she saw the fire. It was moving closer towards the inner ring of Skrulls. Soon they were backing away in fear. Most of the soldiers on the outskirts of the circle were running away. Soon a path was cleared and eventually standing before the duo and what was left of the militia was a woman.

She had fair skin and flaming red hair. Her costume was a mixture of crimson, orange, and yellow. Around her neck she sported what appeared to be a choker, which shined brightly in the evening moonlight. She had a devious grin on her face and her fists were clenched at her sides. The flame that had previously emanated from them had vanished.

"Hello again boys," She said as if she recognized them. She must not have seen Widow or Winter Soldier because she didn't appear to turn their direction. She moved towards the group beleaguering Widow and Winter Soldier," You can either surrender now or later. Your choice."

When the Skrulls turned their weapons on her grin changed from devious to satisfied. Flame once again radiated from her hands as if it were natural," So be it."

The Skrulls began to shoot at her. She dodged their shots easily. Luckily that gave Widow and Winter Soldier time to recover. As the new woman spouted flame Widow reverted to melee. Winter Soldier used both melee and his gun when needed.

Luckily it didn't take the trio long to defeat the remaining Skrulls. At the end of the battle there was a large pile of Skrulls. Each in Skrull form.

As soon as the fight was over it seemed dawn had arrived. Early morning light flooded Widow's eyes. The sun was low in the sky shining a bright red. Even though it was only on the horizon it nearly blinded Widow to look at.

"Thanks for the save, Winter Soldier." Widow said under her breath half hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"You're welcome whatever it was worth. So what was that about?" Asked Winter Soldier as he and the woman made their way to the pile," What did those Skrulls want?"

Widow shook her head," Something about amassing more Skrulls for a prison break. I was just sent to investigate," She replied truthfully. Widow turned to the woman," Who are you?"

The woman shrugged insouciantly as if she got this question all the time," The name's Zara but most people call me Heat Strike," She turned to Winter Soldier with an amiable smile," Nice to see you again."

"Like wise." Winter Soldier replied pleasantly and Widow whirled around to face her. Widow was shocked but hid it well.

"You know him?" She asked without giving away any of her true emotions. Heat Strike stood next to Winter Soldier and nodded.

"I helped him on a mission a couple months ago," Heat Strike replied matter-of-factly placing a hand her hip.

"Then if we're done with introductions here I think it's safe to say these guys won't be back in action." Winter Soldier interjected pointing to the pile of Skrulls and the two women looked up at him.

Widow shook her head in disagreement," Not necessarily. This is one of the main Skrull bases. Just because you take them out doesn't mean there won't be more. They'll have this many if not more by tomorrow night."

"So what's the plan then? What are we going to do about this?" Inquired Heat Strike leaning on her foot and putting most of her weight on her right foot," What? I was sent here by the Avengers to investigate. Fury called in and told us you hadn't returned, so they sent me."

"And why are you here?" Asked Widow, turning to Winter Soldier. She collected two Skrulls from the pile and made her way to the S.H.I.E.L.D jet behind the warehouse. She would allow the Avenger to take care of the rest.

"I was in town and saw you needed help." He answered with a shrug and put his gun back in his holster. Widow figured he wouldn't give her a real response so she accepted the one he gave her. She knew all too well the concept of mistrust.

" All right you two I have a plan. It's risky but if we do this right we can pull it off," She turned to the couple," This is probably going to take more than one night so be prepared. I'm going to take these Skrulls to Nick Fury. Meet me here as soon as you can tomorrow night and we'll discuss the plan."

"Then I'll take the other Skrulls to 42," Said Heat Strike," Iron Man said to bring them to 42 with the rest of the Skrulls. Winter Soldier, would you mind helping?" She asked turning to Winter Soldier and he nodded.

Then the three split up. Heat Strike and Winter Soldier carried as many Skrulls as they could to the Quinjet. Widow dragged her two Skrulls to the S.H.I.E.L.D jet. As Widow flew away the sun was officially in the sky. Pinks, oranges, and yellows greeted them as they flew their separate ways.

Unbeknownst to the heroes there were still Skrulls in the warehouse. Not on the main level but underneath. Groups of them bustled about, preparing for a battle of some kind. There was a secluded office near the back of the basement. In that room there were only two. One stood behind the desk in the room while the other stood in front of it. They spoke to each other, knowing that no one else would be present to hear their conversation. Each held small communication devices.

"It was a good thing she did not investigate further. Or else Veranke would have our heads." Said the Skrull behind the desk and wore what looked like a commander's uniform.

The other one also wore a commander's uniform. She nodded in agreement," Yes, it is. It is especially good. This one has been hunting us for a while. We must find a way to eliminate her."

"But how are we to do that? She has found powerful allies." Replied the first Skrull commander matter-of-factly.

"That is when we call in reinforcements," Said the other as she made one of her hands into a fist. She pounded it on the table as she spoke," We will prevent her from entering this warehouse. No matter what."

"I also recall she encountered Veranke. We must tread carefully with this one." Said the male commander and raised his communication device to his face. He spoke into it for a moment and all was silent.

When he was done the second one spoke," Agreed. Especially if we are to free Queen Veranke and the Super Skrulls."

After that, the two turned away from each other and spoke into their communication devices. So far their plot had succeeded. But what they didn't know was that Widow would find a way to best them.

In another warehouse away from the Skrulls were Nick Fury, Quake, and the Black Widow. She dropped the Skrulls she had captured onto the floor. Fury and Quake looked in her direction. Quake immediately rushed to her side.

"What happened? And how did you even capture them?" She asked incredulously as she picked one of them up. She checked to make sure they were unconscious then dropped it back on the floor.

Fury chuckled under his breath, a grin on his face," Nice work as usual, Widow."

"Thank you, Director Fury." She replied modestly as she thought about the people who had come to her aid.

"What do you know about these guys? Besides that they're Skrulls." Questioned Quake as she looked up at Widow. Fury did the same and Widow bit her lower lip.

"I'm not sure, Director. I haven't gotten to investigate very much. I know some of the layout and that I'm fighting reserve members of the Skrull military but not much besides that." She answered feeling as if she had failed. As if she had failed this mission. As if she had failed Director Fury.

Fury nodded," Understood. Daisy just got back from her mission. Talk to her about what she's seen then proceed with yours."

Widow gave a small nod and took one of the Skrulls by the back of the uniform," I'll take this one into questioning. Quake, you take that one. Find out what you can."

Widow went to interrogate the Skrull. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them her thoughts wandered to the Winter Soldier. From his strapping figure to his medium brunet hair. His deep voice enchanted her. She tried to clear her head but his bright blue eyes kept creeping back in.

She let out an exasperated sigh as she entered an interrogation room. Thankfully the Skrull had just come to. If she couldn't get this Skrull to crack then she was going to be pissed.

Far away from Fury's warehouse were Heat Strike and Winter Soldier. They had just delivered the remaining Skrulls to 42. They were on the roof of the Baxter Building. Fortunately the roof of the Baxter Building was large enough to park a Quinjet.

"It's good to see you again, Winter Soldier." Said Heat Strike with a satisfied smile. She had seen the way Widow was staring at him earlier. She knew that if she didn't act soon he would be under Widow's sway. Not that she cared.

"It's good to see you as well. Didn't think I would be swinging back this way so soon. So you're an Avenger now, huh?" He asked with an amused grin as he got into the passenger's seat. He leaned back in his chair folding his hands and placing them behind his head.

Heat Strike shrugged nonchalantly as she took the driver's seat. Even though to Heat Strike it was still thrilling to be called an Avenger period," Just a reserve. Tony insisted after our last mission together made it on the news."

Winter Soldier gave a small nod as the Quinjet lifted off. Winter Soldier was impressed that Heat Strike had learned to fly. She didn't seem the type but then again he didn't know her very well.

"So Winter Soldier since it appears that you're going to be in town for a while would you like to stay at my place again? I have tons of clothes that you could borrow, if you wanted." She asked turning to him from the driver's seat. She put the jet on auto pilot.

Winter Soldier shrugged as he propped his feet on the dashboard," Why not? I could use a good meal," He took a glimpse out the window as they reached the mansion," What're we doing here?"

Heat Strike typed something into the keyboard and Winter Soldier waited. She turned halfway towards him," I'm returning the Quinjet and reporting to Captain America about our mission. That and I figure you two can catch up. While you're doing that I need to do some research on the Skrulls."

It took some time but eventually Heat Strike and Winter Soldier had left the mansion. Winter Soldier noticed Heat Strike relax as soon as they were on the road. Clearly it had been some time since James had been in New York. The wind was bitterer than before. The trees were completely bare, with snow falling from the sky.

The sky itself looked gray and cloudy. A blanket of snow covered the ground. Luckily the streets weren't too bad. People were crazy on the roads. Most went faster than thirty and seemed to zip by Heat Strike. Winter Soldier noticed a small growl of frustration escape her whenever a car passed her by.

Winter Soldier was grateful when they finally reached her house. It was the same petite, red house as it always was. Even though Winter Soldier had only stayed one time it was nice to be back. It was snug for an abode that wasn't his. Although it wasn't his he knew this would be his ideal dwelling.

He listened to the familiar sounds of Zara's motorcycle turning off. He followed her inside feeling comfortable with his surroundings. The warmth of the house was a pleasant change from the chilling winds. It was as if she had been expecting him. Whether she had or not it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was back.

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you in a couple months." Zara said as she handed him a mug of hot cocoa. He took it gratefully. He noticed that she too, took one and leaned against the kitchen counter.

James sipped from the mug," All right. I see you've kept busy enough." He replied, looking around the dining room/kitchen. The house was in disarray. Toys were scattered on the floor, marker containers and markers dispersed everywhere, stuffed animals lying in piles on the floor and the stairs.

Zara nodded as she slid into a chair at the table. He followed her and sat down adjacent to her," Yes, I have. I had some nieces and nephews over yesterday. I've been trying to clean but I can only do so much at a time."

Silence passed between the two as they sipped. The snow fell lightly outside. The wind blew and grew harsher as the day went on. The trees swayed with the wind. The couple enjoyed their time together, asking questions here and there as they sipped. Their time together previously had been brief. With this occasion they wanted to make the most of it.

Far from Zara's house the Black Widow was about to give up on her investigation. She was getting absolutely nowhere. She had resorted to almost every kind of interrogation method she knew. She was tempted to take a break but she knew she couldn't. At least not until she got some real information from this obstinate Skrull would she quit.

In the room there was a table and two chairs. The Skrull sat in one chair and Widow sat in the other. The Skrull was handcuffed with his wrists displayed across the table. Widow had her arms crossed against her chest, her vexation growing by the minute.

"I'll ask you again. What is your mission? What did Queen Veranke send you to do?" She asked trying to hide her impatience. So far she seemed to be doing a good job. She had been questioning this Skrull for hours and he was sealed tight as a drum.

The Skrull laughed as if he thought her frustration hilarious. He too appeared exhausted of this interrogation. Maybe Widow could just smack him across the face or worse," I shouldn't need to tell you. Queen Veranke sent us to help her. If she was ever captured we were to free her from imprisonment."

Widow nodded as she took a mental note. She continued the interrogation," To help her escape? How many of you are there? How many bases do you have?"

In response to her questions the Skrull leaned back in his chair. He had a sly smirk on his face, which meant he wasn't going to tell her. Suddenly Widow broke.

She leaned closer to him from across the table. Grabbing him by the front of his collar she watched his malicious grin disappear. She had her stingers near the Skrull's neck. The Skrull gulped nervously," I suggest you don't test me anymore, Skrull. I'm losing my patience. Now are you going to answer my questions or do I get to fry your brain?"

Widow loosened her grip on the Skrull's collar and sat back down. The Skrull seemed more tense but also sat back down," Queen Veranke told us that if she and or her Super Skrulls were ever captured we were to free her. For weeks we've been trying to get into the structure you call the Baxter Building. We know that connected to the Baxter Building is the way to where Veranke and her Super Skrulls are being kept, thanks to our spy. We were told to do anything necessary to help them escape," when he received no reaction from Widow he continued," There are three groups of one thousand reserve members. I don't know where all the bases are but with our base we have underground networks connected within the warehouse basement. The tunnels all stop at other underground warehouses which go directly to the Baxter Building. It was designed to be a labyrinth as you mortals call it. But you will never win. We will rise again and we will take over this planet."

"We'll see about that." Widow said and gave the Skrull her best upper cut. He slumped over in his chair and his eyes closed. Widow let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment Quake came into the room. Her eyes searched it and found the Skrull slumped in the chair," Damn Widow what's wrong with you?" She asked leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

Widow let out a sigh of exhaustion as she face palmed," I don't know. I guess I'm just annoyed. It seems like every time we catch a group of Skrulls, more pop up."

Quake nodded as she moved next to Widow," Yeah I know what you mean. But Fury says we've captured a good portion of them. So I guess that means something, right?" Widow knew that Quake was looking at her and tried to look away.

Finally Widow sighed in defeat, putting her hands down on the table," I suppose."

"So what are you going to do about this group?" Asked Quake as she began to drag the unconscious Skrull out of the room.

"I have a plan, but I'm not sure it's going to work," Widow responded as she looked at Quake. A grin appeared on her face and Widow followed her out of the room. Widow noticed that Quake had already taken care of the other Skrull," Let's just get these Skrulls to 42."

Back at Zara's house the two were sitting down to a leisurely dinner. Of course it was pizza since Zara had leftovers. James couldn't recall the last time he had had cuisine as good as Zara's, even if it was just pizza. When he was finished, he stood near the back door.

Zara rolled her eyes as she took care of the dishes," We're not leaving yet so slow your horses. You might as well go watch some baseball."

"Why?" He asked as he went to sit in her living room. He recalled helping her clean it. He seated himself on her couch feeling exhaustion set in. He recollected what had happened the last time he had slept on it.

"There's a lot of traffic near the warehouse this time of evening. We're going to have to wait until dark." She responded taking a seat next to him. He could feel her instantly relax.

"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Asked Winter Soldier slightly irritated as he watched her slip off her heels against the couch. The socks on her feet matched the scarlet hue of her shirt.

"Well baseball season doesn't start for a while now. Although I do have some games recorded if you want to watch." She suggested, grabbing the remote from the ground. She handed it to him, hoping he'd take it.

Winter Soldier shrugged ambiguously," Sure. How much longer are we waiting for?" He waited for Zara's answer while he tried to find the recorded games. Eventually, Zara gave a sigh and took the remote from him.

"We should leave in at least a half hour. I just hope Widow isn't too upset." Zara leaned her head against Winter Soldier when she had found a game. Even though normally Winter Soldier would've shrugged it off, he didn't mind that Zara's body was so close to his. Slowly and carefully he wrapped his arm around her.

A half hour later Widow was waiting near the warehouse. The sun was setting and the wind was growing colder. She hadn't thought to bring a coat assuming she wouldn't need one. Now she regretted it as she stood there shivering.

She looked at her watch then around the warehouse. She didn't mind being by herself but felt better if others were with her. She let out an exasperated sigh as she began to pace. The snow crunched under her feet as she walked. She hoped it wouldn't give her away.

Just as she was about to leave she heard the sound of a motorcycle. Widow searched the streets until she found a lone pair of headlights. She almost thought it was Captain America but the thought was refuted when she saw Heat Strike and Winter Soldier.

"Sorry we're late. So what's your plan?" Asked Heat Strike when the two had reached Widow.

Widow looked from Heat Strike to Winter Soldier, who looked just as attractive as the night before. She swallowed hard," One of us needs to infiltrate the warehouse. I interrogated one of the Skrulls we captured this morning. These Skrulls are part of the reserve military of Queen Veranke."

"So they're the backups? How many are we dealing with? When are they going to show up? What's their big mission?" Inquired Heat Strike as she placed one hand on her hip and leaned on her foot.

Widow looked again from Heat Strike to Winter Soldier. His expression seemed stoic," I know how many troops there are but I don't know how many are showing up. I also don't know when they're going to try freeing Veranke and the Super Skrulls."

Heat Strike nodded but Winter Soldier was the one who rejoined," It makes sense. What else did you learn? How long is it going to take for them to formulate their attack?"

Widow shook her head," I don't know. There's still a fair amount of things we don't know. That's why we need someone to infiltrate the warehouse. I can do it myself but the Skrulls already know me."

Widow and Winter Soldier turned to Heat Strike," Nuh-uh. Not me. I don't do infiltration well. I'm more of a firefight gal."

"I'll do it," Spoke Winter Soldier and both women turned to him. Their expressions revealed disbelief," One of my last missions during the war was to infiltrate Hydra. I'll go."

Before Heat Strike could speak Widow nodded," All right then. I have something for you," She reached into a pocket inside her costume. She pulled out a small, circular device and tossed it to Winter Soldier," Wear this on your costume. It'll make you look and sound exactly like a Skrull but don't jostle it too much. If you do then you'll lose your disguise."

Winter Soldier put it on, "How do I look?" Winter Soldier enquired and for a moment no one said anything. The voice of Winter Soldier had changed so that it sounded slightly higher than normal. The usual Caucasian muscularity of Winter Soldier was replaced by a muscular looking Skrull. His eyes were steel grey where his irises should've been. His costume looked like that of a Skrull Commanders.

"Like a Skrull." Both women responded and Winter Soldier chuckled under his breath. Before either could speak Winter Soldier pushed past them. They each shared a concerned look.

"We need to know how many Skrulls are being summoned and when they're planning on rescuing Veranke and her Super Skrulls, right?" He rejoined stopping halfway between her and the warehouse.

Widow shook her head and shivered," More or less. And if you can find out how many tunnels there are."

"Understood but how am I supposed to communicate with you?" He asked and Widow produced an ear piece out of her pocket. He took it from her and nodded solemnly. The women watched as he went to the warehouse.

After a while Widow turned to Heat Strike," We're going to have to stay here but not too close. It'll expose Winter Soldier. Meet me on that rooftop," She pointed to a nearby building and Heat Strike nodded," You might want to move your motorcycle. That would also give him away. I'll see you in a couple of minutes."

Heat Strike quickly went to get her motorcycle. Black Widow looked up at the moon, which was crescent shaped. It shone down brightly on the snow and an otherwise enigmatic Black Widow.

After a few minutes the women sat on the rooftop of a nearby building. Heat Strike's motorcycle was parked in an adjacent alleyway. Widow had a replica of the communication device she had given Winter Soldier in her ear. She had a pair of field glasses in hand.

"So how long do you think Winter Soldier will have to be in there?" Asked Heat Strike sounding truly bothered by Winter Soldier's mission. Her legs dangled over the building and she looked nervously from the warehouse to Black Widow.

It took a moment for the spy to respond but when she did it was short," We're doing this in chunks. I'm going to need to adjust my plan if something changes so it might take a few nights. Why?"

Heat Strike shrugged and brought her knees against her chest. She wrapped her arms around her knees and focused on the warehouse," I take it you don't want me on this mission?" She knew that Widow wouldn't have told her directly but her tone of voice during that last response had said it all.

"I don't like amateurs standing in the way of my work." She replied matter-of-factly as if it should be obvious.

Heat Strike rolled her eyes at the comment. Like she hadn't heard that song and dance a million damn times before.

"Listen Widow, I know you're a professional spy and everything but it doesn't hurt to have backup. I might be a little green to this whole hero thing, but the Avengers seem to trust me. Winter Soldier seems to trust me, despite his past. Could you at least give me a chance before you judge?" She requested knowing that she might not get her request granted.

To her surprise she heard Widow let out a defeated sigh," All right. But if I tell you to do something, you have to do it no questions asked."

"Done." Heat Strike replied with a satisfied smirk. It took everything Widow had not to smack her across the face.

In the Skrull warehouse Winter Soldier was exploring the Skrull base. So far there were two floors, and that didn't count the basement. There were at least twenty rooms on each floor serving various purposes.

Fortunately, no Skrulls had become suspicious of him yet. If and when they did he wasn't sure if he would be convincing enough. He looked and sounded like a Skrull but could he act like one? Only time would tell.

Just as he was about to head down to the basement he felt a presence behind him. He whirled around to see another Skrull, who wore a commander's uniform. From what he could tell, the Skrull was female with long, raggedy black hair. Her irises were different shades of yellow.

She stepped back from him, her face revealing astonishment," My apologies, Commander. I did not know that there was a third Commander on this mission."

At a loss for words Winter Soldier improvised," Yes well, I would've communicated it to you but I couldn't contact you. How many soldiers are arriving tonight?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

"We have three groups of fifty coming in. My squad, your squad, and the squad of another commander." She replied matter-of-factly as if he should've known this.

_This is too damn easy, _Thought Winter Soldier as he followed the other commander down a nearby hallway.

"And what is our plan for absconding Queen Veranke and her Super Skrulls?" He probed as other Skrulls moved around them. Their countenances were vacant.

The Commander seemed baffled," There are four to five tunnels that connect to our basement. Each of them are linked to other Skrull warehouses, where supplies and other Skrull warriors are kept. After that each tunnel leads to a portion of the Baxter Building."

Winter Soldier nodded," I see. So when are we going to save Veranke and her Super Skrulls from those, primates?" He asked while he and the other commander continued away from the arriving Skrulls.

Back on the rooftop the two women watched the warehouse fill with Skrulls. The lights were on and there was noise coming from it. The noise was deafening and Widow was surprised that no one had called or complained about it yet.

Anxiety hung between the two. Widow activated her communication device. Heat Strike turned to look at her as Widow put a finger to her ear. Heat Strike listened intently.

"This is Black Widow. Do you copy? What's your status?" She asked as Heat Strike took the binoculars from beside her. Her eyes looked over the grounds of the warehouse.

After a few moments Winter Soldier responded. The line was static but he could still be heard," I'm here. I have information for you."

Back at the warehouse, Winter Soldier was on the second floor above ground. He was leaning against the wall, his finger in his earpiece. Behind him were Skrull soldiers training. He glanced back at the Skrulls, hoping they weren't listening.

On the rooftop Widow glanced at Heat Strike then straight at the warehouse," Proceed."

"The entire warehouse has three floors, two above ground. Both floors have twenty rooms each. The basement has four to five tunnels which stop at various warehouses then proceed to the Baxter Building. I think they plan on using those tunnels. They're also bringing in three groups of fifty."

"That's great but when are they planning on bouncing Veranke and her Super Skrulls?" Inquired Heat Strike leaning toward the ear piece.

"I just spoke with one of the commanders. She said two nights from now they'll be sending their first group to the Baxter Building. Right now they're preparing for the assault and lying low." He replied as Heat Strike took her place beside Widow once again.

"Good work, Winter Soldier." Commended Widow as Heat Strike folded her legs into a half lotus position.

"How much longer is he supposed to be there? Its eleven thirty and I think we have all the information we need." Heat Strike voiced and Widow turned to look at her incredulously.

As if on purpose Winter Soldier interjected," I agree. I think until we can come up with a plan to stop them, we should leave."

Widow twisted to half glare at Heat Strike, then back at the warehouse. She let out a tired sigh, knowing they were right," All right. Retreat as soon as you can Winter Soldier and be safe. Let me know if you run into any trouble. Widow out." Widow instructed as she turned off her communicator.

"Are you sure he's going to be able to make it out? Winter Soldier I mean." Heat Strike whispered and Widow caught a glimpse of the expression on her face.

Widow stole a glance at the warehouse, which was lit up like a Christmas tree, then back at Heat Strike. She nodded confidently as she put her earpiece in a pocket in her costume," He'll make it. You have to have faith during these situations. Now, let's go down there and see him. Bring your motorcycle and I'll meet you there in five minutes."

Back at the warehouse Winter Soldier was making his escape. He was near the backdoor he had used to enter when he heard two voices behind him. He whirled to find two Skrulls arguing with each other. The Skrulls stopped in their tracks, looking at him in trepidation.

Winter Soldier gave an exasperated sigh," What is it? Spit it out." He hoped he sounded like a convincing commander.

The Skrulls looked at each other incredulously. After a moment one of them spoke," Sir, Commander, we were told not to leave this site. All of us are to wait until we receive orders to do so."

Winter Soldier thought about this for a few moments," Yes well, I have authorization to leave. You see, I'm out conducting business with other Skrull agents." He responded, hoping that would keep them from questioning him further.

The two Skrulls shared a curious look," Have you cleared it over with the other commanders?" They asked. Winter Soldier knew that if they were in the American military they wouldn't be allowed to ask questions like this to their commanding officers.

"Of course not. I shouldn't have to justify my actions to a bunch of privates like you." He responded curtly.

The Skrulls turned to each other and shared a smirk," We'll see you treat us like privates." One of the Skrulls' fists swung toward him.

Just before he had time to dodge the fist hit its target. However instead of hitting Winter Soldier's face he heard the Skrull's fist hit his chest piece. Winter Soldier noticed his image waver from human to Skrull and back again.

_Shit! _He thought as he looked up at the Skrulls. Both wore expressions of shock. The Skrull removed his fist, cradling it against his chest. The other Skrull came forward and swung his fist. Winter Soldier knew this was going to be a long night.

Outside near the warehouse both Black Widow and Heat Strike were waiting. Both were near the edge of the lawn. Heat Strike was leaning against her motorcycle. Widow had her arms crossed and she leaned heavily on her right foot.

"He should be here by now. What's taking him so long?" Inquired Heat Strike worriedly, looking at the clock on her Avengers ID card.

"Right here. Sorry it took me so long." Said Winter Soldier as he neared them. Unfortunately, his camouflage had faded. Heat Strike raced up to him and hugged him. Quickly she backed away and blushed fervently.

Widow nodded in his direction, trying to show no emotion. Even though she herself felt relieved that he had come back.

"What happened? What took you so long?" Asked Widow as Winter Soldier neared the motorcycle.

Winter Soldier tossed her the remains of his disguise. Widow caught most of it, and Winter Soldier responded," Well let's just say I got into a fight with some of the soldiers. I handled it, but my masquerade was ruined."

Widow nodded as she picked up the remaining pieces off the ground," I'll see if I can get a new one, but these things don't come cheap."

"How did you manage to get away?" Heat Strike questioned when she got on her motorcycle.

"I was able to get the soldiers into some serious trouble," Replied Winter Soldier with a casual shrug," Although I don't think that will keep them busy for long. Widow, what's our next step?"

Both heads turned to Widow as the two readied themselves to leave. Widow looked from one to another. Regrettably Widow hadn't actually thought about that yet.

"I don't know yet. I'll need some time to think. I'll contact you when I have a definite plan." Widow replied.

"So how were you able to get that kind of technology anyway?" Heat Strike inquired leaning on her handle bars. Widow noticed that Winter Soldier held onto Heat Strike's waist tightly. She felt slightly uncomfortable at the sight but didn't say anything.

"As you probably know Tony Stark and Dr. Doom created technology that would expose Skrulls to their true form. We had Stark and Richards reverse engineer that technology and they created what Winter Soldier wore. You appear and sound like a Skrull, however, the device can't be touched excessively. Or else it breaks."

"Is that why you didn't want it jostled?" Inquired Heat Strike and Widow nodded in agreement.

"Heat Strike revved up her Davidson and raced away. Widow watched them as they left their headlights clear in the dark night. More specifically she watched Winter Soldier. He seemed to be holding onto her tightly. Widow's throat constricted but she said nothing. She turned and walked away.

As she was walking she opened her palm to look at the device. It was cracked and a small portion of it was broken off. She knew without looking at it too extensively that it wasn't salvageable. Meaning that she would either have to get a new one. Or make up a different disguise.

Widow gave a tired sigh as she went to where she had parked her jet. Fortunately it was in an obscure place so nobody would find it. Hopefully, no Skrulls had discovered it.

As Widow left the scene her thoughts turned to Winter Soldier. The way he moved was flawless. The way his bright blue eyes made her melt. His cat-like reflexes whenever he avoided a hit.

Widow shuddered at the thought. She had fallen in love once. Even though it hadn't been much she still remembered it. The kiss in the alley still lingered in her mind, and on her lips. Even though it had been brief, it was still a strong memory. Since then she hadn't seen or spoken to Hawkeye.

Several hours later at Zara's house the smell of bacon and omelet drifted through the house. It wafted into the living room, where James Barnes was sleeping, and into his nose. He pushed the blankets off and looked out the window. The sun was rising and its bright red lights nearly blinded him.

The early morning light reflected off the grey pajama pants Zara had given him. He quickly put on a large, thick grey hooded sweatshirt that Zara had given him. It was like he had never left.

Trudging into the dining room he almost hadn't noticed the paper on the table. He reached for it and Zara chuckled. James looked down from the paper to glance at her. He also noticed that the table was already set.

"What's so funny?" He asked with curiosity when she gave him a large omelet and two pieces of bacon. As if reading his thoughts, she handed him a large cup of coffee. He took a sip and sighed deeply. He had forgotten how wonderful her black coffee had tasted.

"Nothing. I just find that it's a cliché when men read the paper while they're eating breakfast is all." She responded finally sitting at the table with a large omelet and the rest of the bacon.

James set the paper aside and took a large bite of omelet. The eggs blended nicely with the cheese and other ingredients. He missed this. He missed Zara, and her exquisite cooking. He savored the flavor, not knowing when he might taste this kind of cuisine again.

"This is really good. How did you learn to cook?" Inquired James curiously, his eyes boring into Zara's just as they looked up.

"From my mother and grandmother. They were both excellent cooks and for some reason I used to watch them. Whenever my grandmother would come over I'd be drawn in by the aroma. After a little cooking accident my parents made sure I was supervised in the kitchen at all times." Zara answered with a reminiscent smile on her face.

James nodded as he downed more coffee," I don't remember my family too much." And that was the honest truth.

Zara went to refill his mug and James picked up the paper once more," So what's the story about these Skrulls? What's the deal about them?"

His eyes strayed away from his paper. He watched Zara's expression, which changed from cheerful to upset. He noticed that she was biting her lower lip. Just as he was about to drop the subject he heard her give a tired sigh.

"About a month ago the Avengers were celebrating the introduction of a new team member. During that time the Avengers discovered that they had been infiltrated by shape shifting aliens called Skrulls," Zara looked up at as she refilled James's then continued," Their mission was to infiltrate and conquer Earth. Those humans that submitted to them would be spared and kept as slaves."

"Well that sounds lovely." Replied James sarcastically as he put down his paper.

"Apparently they had penetrated positions of power in different organizations for over a year," When James's expression stayed neutral as she finished her story. Her voice revealed her angst," Supposedly there was a prophecy among the Skrull people that after their world was destroyed; Earth would be their new home planet."

"So let me get this straight? The Skrulls tried to take over because they needed a new home planet?" Said James as he finished his omelet. Zara nodded in agreement as she refilled his plate.

"I think that about sums it up." She said and took the paper from beside him.

James noticed the tension her eyes held. Even though she was reading, her body bent he understood that this was a touchy subject for her. He ate his omelet, his eyes looking at the headlines. For some reason, they kept wandering from the headline to Zara. He noticed her red eyes observing him gently but ignored them.

Back at Fury's warehouse Widow sat at a table in one of the interrogation rooms. With a coffee in hand her mind thought of what they needed to do next. Deep in thought Widow almost didn't notice Quake enter.

"So how did last night go? Fury said you were silent when you grabbed your coffee and came. So you want to talk or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Daisy asked as she took the chair across from Widow and set it down next to her.

Widow shrugged as she took another sip of coffee," It went well. Last night Winter Soldier infiltrated the Skrull warehouse. We know everything we need to know. Now all I have to do is come up with how to deal with what I've been given."

"So what's your problem? All you have to do is find a way to keep the Skrulls from rescuing their leader. Shouldn't be that hard, right?" Quake responded as if it were really that simple.

Widow gave a tired sigh and Quake turned to look at her. Widow tried to look away but she knew resistance was futile. Widow held her coffee tightly with both hands. She noticed a small smirk appear on Quake's lips.

"You've fallen in love with him, haven't you?" She probed and Widow gave another tired sigh. Then nodded, knowing she couldn't hide anything from Quake.

"I don't how it happened." Widow whispered as Quake comforted her friend as much as she could. She had seen this side of Widow before. It was hard for Widow to express anything that might border on the word love. She was supposed to be a cold-hearted spy, yet she had fallen under its spell not once, but twice.

"It's not your fault. It's called being human," Said Quake with a small smirk, which disappeared when Widow looked up at her. Quake sighed in defeat as her mind raced for something that might help," Okay listen, here's what I think. Send Winter Soldier back in tonight. Make him do whatever else you need him to do. Then take him out to dinner."

"How are we going to capture all those Skrulls?" Asked Widow drumming her fingers on the table top while finishing her coffee.

Quake shrugged as she tried to fit the remaining pieces together," Tell him to send however many Skrulls they're going to send tonight. That we've discovered that they're going to attack us soon. Beforehand though you might want to warn S.H.I.E.L.D and the Fantastic four."

Widow took her coffee and opened the door. She allowed it to remain open halfway and turned to Quake," Thanks, Quake. I needed that." She said and was out the room.

Quake nodded as she looked at the ground," It's what I'm here for." She replied quietly and left the room as well.

Later on during the morning Zara was putting on a thick leather jacket and ankle high boots. James had long ago put on his disguise, which consisted of a light pair of jeans, a navy blue t-shirt under a thick, grey hooded sweat shirt. He was contently sitting on the couch, watching television. His eyes briefly left the screen to look at Zara.

"Where are you going?" He asked, rising from the couch to meet her in the dining room. She stopped and turned to face him, her red hair curling down her shoulders.

"To work. Ever since my parents retired from running their store they left it to me. It's kind of a family business thing." Zara replied as she tossed some hair over her shoulder.

James shook his head to try to focus," What kind of store?" He inquired leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, his smirk of defiance getting under Zara's skin.

"Camping equipment. It's kind of boring. You wouldn't like it. Anyway, I have to be there for a while," She replied straightforwardly as she headed toward the garage door. She opened it halfway and stopped," Unless you want to come?" Her dazzling smile told him that she had expected this somehow.

Soon enough the pair were cruising down the New York highway. With the cool wind blowing through his hair, James Barnes couldn't help but enjoy himself. He waved his arms in the air and hollered. He knew other people gawked but he didn't care.

It wasn't long before the two reached the Taylor's Camping Equipment Store. Zara parked in the very front, not bothering to hide her presence. She greeted people as they exited. James stuck closely to her as they entered. He was very fortunate she had given him a disguise.

Zara walked swiftly past aisles as she headed to the cash register. James nodded at a few of the employees. The male employees gave him curt looks. He tried to keep his face on Zara. They turned and James wondered when they would reach their destination.

Eventually Zara stopped and James almost bumped into her. James towering height gave him an advantage of sight. In front of Zara was a cash register with a curly, blonde woman behind it. She was slightly heavy set and wore a nametag on her shirt. She wore black, thick rimmed glasses on her nose.

"Hey Mellony, how's everything going?" Asked Zara with a pleasant smile when she unzipped her tan leather jacket.

"All right, actually. It's been slow lately but I think it'll pick up by spring." She replied leaning across the metal desk.

Zara nodded in agreement as she tossed all her curly, red hair behind her," It usually does," Turning to James she continued," Mellony, this is James," She faltered for his last name.

To save her the trouble of trying to guess James interjected," Barnes." He muttered, hoping only Zara had heard him.

"Right. Er, James Barnes." She corrected and James chuckled under his breath. She turned to give him a deadly glare but was interrupted by Mellony's handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, James Barnes." She said with a good natured smile. He shook it once. Out of James peripheral vision he saw Zara smile a little.

"Well I have to take care of some business. Did you know we have new twenty job applicants since our last ad?" Zara asked beginning to make her way to her office and Mellony shook her head," Hey James why don't you stay with Mellony? I shouldn't be more than an hour or so."

"I thought you had to stay here for four hours?" James called as she stopped and turned to him.

She shrugged casually with a sly grin," I can always call one of my brothers." She answered and was quickly gone.

Mellony gave a weary sigh as she picked up a clipboard and pen from the desk. She looked at James and his forlorn expression. She clicked her pen and looked up at him," Come on, James. You can help me take stock."

Only when she speak did he turn to her and nod in agreement. Reluctantly, he followed her around the store. Still he received dirty looks from the male employees. These of course he returned just as nasty. After that, he noticed they usually left him alone. The few that were brave enough to defy him, he flipped off.

A couple hours later James was back where he had commenced. He put his arm on the counter. Most of his weight was distributed to his left foot. Mellony was behind the counter, giving a bored sigh.

James had trailed behind her all around the store. Then after taking stock he had gone with her back to the register. She had done other things during that hour, but James hadn't paid attention.

His mind wandered to the red head who had given him so much. Who had sacrificed so much for him. He wondered if anyone else would do the same for him. He wondered if he could do the same for her. If there were ever an opportunity to repay her for the way she had treated him.

As if reading his thoughts, Mellony interjected in the silence," You know, I've never seen Zara talk about a man the way she talks about you. You're very lucky you know."

James turned to her, giving her an odd look," Yeah? What about it?" He asked, trying to avoid the sinking feeling that he understood what she was talking about.

Mellony shrugged indifferently," I'm just saying if you have feelings for her, treat her well. I know she's a good woman and a hard working woman. Not to mention a nice catch." She winked as they both heard the sounds of high heels clicking on the floor.

James shifted his gaze to see a pair of dark skinny jeans nearing the counter. A grin came across his face as he recognized Zara. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Mellony look up.

As soon as Zara neared the register he could tell she looked exhausted. Nevertheless she couldn't keep her emotions hidden well. At least not from James. Whatever kind of work she had been doing it had drained her. He was thankful she had arrived when she had.

"Mellony I'm leaving for the day," Zara handed Mellony a slip of paper as she neared James. She turned to him and flashed him an amiable smile," Are you ready to leave?" She asked with a hand on her hip.

James nodded once in agreement and he followed her. He kept his eyes straight ahead. Quickly he caught up with Zara's pace. He noticed the expression on her face but didn't say anything. As if reading his mind she turned to him then spoke.

"Natasha called me after one of my interviews." She said when James opened the door for her. She hugged her tan leather jacket closer to her body.

"Natasha who?" James inquired curiously feeling the snow crunch under his feet and the wind bite at his skin.

Zara looked around her to make sure nobody was listening. Finally she leaned closer and whispered," The Black Widow. She called me from one of the S.H.I.E.L.D warehouses. She said you're going back to that Skrull warehouse and she has a plan."

James nodded holding tightly onto Zara as they got on the motorcycle," Did she say anything else?" He inquired lightly over the roar of the Harley Davidson. Her body seemed tense with his next question. James knew something had happened in the conversation between Zara and Natasha. Something she didn't want to talk about.

"Not much, other than the instructions she told me to give to you." Zara replied a little too curtly and James nodded. He didn't need a clue to know that whatever had upset Zara she didn't want to talk about.

For the rest of the ride it was silent. James hoped that Zara would be in a better mood soon. It was beginning to affect him. He could feel it seep into his body and mind. He tried to shake it off, but it was easier said than done. Finally, he got an idea that he expected to help with her mood.

"Hey Zara, since we both have the rest of the day free, why don't we watch some baseball? I don't mind seeing reruns. That way we can talk about Widow's plan leisurely." He suggested when she slipped off her heels and leather jacket inside the house.

Her eyes quickly looked up into his. He put on his best poker face. He knew that she would try to read his expression. After a while a small grin commenced at the edges of her face," Sure. I'd like that."

She quickly made her way to the couch. James followed close behind. He allowed himself a small portion of happiness at this. He didn't like to see her stressed. He didn't understand why but he didn't.

His mind attempted to comprehend why he had that feeling. Shrugging it off, his put his arm around her. She looked up at him with happiness and it comforted James. His heart nearly skipped a beat when she leaned her head against his chest. He couldn't help but think that maybe, some microscopic portion of him, had fallen in love with her.

Far from Zara's house the Skrull warehouse was bustling with Skrulls. It was nearing a hundred and fifty troops. Many Skrulls were doing different things. All the groups were large and doing things quickly.

A female commander was speaking with two soldiers. More specifically the two soldiers that had gotten into the scuffle with Winter Soldier. Their punishment for such a quarrel had been unyielding and draconian. Despite their chastisement, they had demanded to speak with one of the commanders.

"Commander F, we are concerned about the new commander. He does not act like any other commander we've seen." Said the first Skrull, looking at his comrade for assistance.

The other Skrull nodded in agreement. Commander F turned to her soldiers, her hands on her hips," What does it matter to you? You are soldiers, merely servants to the crowned Queen Veranke. It is not in your place to question her."

Both Skrulls stopped short in front of their commander," Yes, but did he say when he was to return? Did he even speak of what business he was to attend to?" The soldiers questioned.

Commander F gave an exasperated sigh," He's to return tonight at nine o' clock Earth time. And his mission is highly classified. Now if you're done, you have extra guard shifts to attend."

The Skrulls looked at each other worriedly. Then, as if they had been pricked in the ass they went to their guard positions. Commander F rolled her eyes and went the opposite way.

Back at Fury's warehouse Widow was preparing for tonight. She was in one of the interrogation rooms. A map of the warehouse was tapped to the wall. Widow's ear piece lay on the desk. She paced back and forth, her mind deep in concentration. She knew what she had to do. Thought it would be as simple in action as it would be on paper.

Widow would have Winter Soldier and Heat Strike back at the warehouse tonight. Winter Soldier would need to find out how many Skrulls were being sent into the Baxter Building the first time. Then he would need to send that many. Hopefully S.H.I.E.L.D and the Fantastic Four could handle them.

After that they would deal with the rest. Widow had already informed them of the warehouse and how many Skrulls were approximately there.

Widow knew this might take at least one more night, maybe two. However, it would be better to get rid of these Skrulls then have Queen Veranke escape. Widow shuddered but that wasn't what was bothering her. No, this issue was much more serious.

The issue was something so foreign to Widow that she wasn't sure how to react. It was love, something tender and soft. Widow wasn't that type of person. She was supposed to be a coldblooded secret agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. How could she have gotten tangled in something this twisted?

These thoughts swirled in Widow's mind. She struggled to keep them from surfacing. But to no avail. Against her will, she was in love with Winter Soldier.

At Zara's house both Zara and James were still snuggled closely together on the couch. Zara had a brown blanket covering her body. Her head was still against James's shoulder. Every attempt at getting him to talk had been thwarted and ended in frustration. Now that Zara thought about it, James had been silent since they had commenced watching baseball reruns.

They had eaten lunch in the living room. Of course it had been pizza, since he hadn't wanted anything else. She wondered what had made him mute. She had a feeling it was because Widow had spoken with her in private. Zara hadn't told him all the details of course and she didn't want to.

For the millionth time that day her eyes drifted to his sweatshirt. When he had decided to stay over at her house she had given him an old pair of one of her brother's clothes. The sweatshirt fit him nicely, highlighting his muscles. For some reason he hadn't taken it off since they had gotten home. Zara would've thought he would've by now.

The sweatshirt itself was like every other sweatshirt. It was grey and hooded. There were strings near the zipper to adjust the tightness of the hood. Looking just past the sweatshirt to his eyes, Zara attempted to determine what color they were. For the most part they were blue, but sometimes they looked grey. Zara knew they were blue; then again she was never certain. His hood acted like a visor, as if trying to hide his eyes.

She had never once gotten him to so much as look at her during any of the games. But this time she saw his head turn. Slowly yet surely she saw his eyes turn to look at her. His gaze was intent and just as soon as he met her eyes he looked at the screen again. The game had come back on but Zara wasn't interested in it now.

Her eyes immediately went down to his mouth. His lips were pressed together tightly as he continued watching it. He was deep in concentration. Zara would've brought her finger up his mouth but wasn't certain how he would react. To try to suppress those thoughts her mind wandered to the aspect of how his lips would taste against hers.

She shuddered at the thought and James noticed. He turned his face to her," So what else did Widow have to say besides the plan?" He asked as it turned to the commercial break. During lunch she had told him about Widow's plan.

"She said to meet her at the same time as yesterday. We'll probably execute most of the plan tonight. More or less." She replied and James nodded.

Zara let out a sigh of relief. She knew that sooner or later he would ask what else Natasha had said. However that hadn't happened yet and if it didn't soon then it never would. Zara hoped it never would.

About a half hour later the two were seated for dinner. Zara had made Stromboli. As usual, James loved her cooking. He couldn't help that he had never had a decent meal before meeting her. He didn't understand why he loved her cooking so much.

The flavor of the pizza-type meal danced on his taste buds. Soon enough he was asking for seconds. Then thirds. And possibly fourths. He found his taste for them growing more even though his stomach room was shrinking.

"Damn James, I've never seen anyone eat that many. Even my brothers can only eat three and a half." Zara said incredulously after she had downed a whole glass of water.

James wiped his mouth on his napkin, a cunning smirk on his face," How many can you eat?" He inquired when she had finished her first one.

"That depends. Are you willing to save some room for dessert?" She taunted with an even slyer grin. She put her napkin to her mouth and James shook his head. She knew she had won this round. Next time it would be his win.

Dinner ended quickly seeing as Zara finished off the most of the Stromboli. Dessert was chocolate mousse. It was almost as good if not even better than her Stromboli. James savored it knowing there wouldn't be another opportunity for this kind of nourishment. At least not for him.

At the Skrull warehouse Widow was surveying the grounds. She didn't find any Skrulls about. It made sense considering there was still traffic. Widow now understood why Heat Strike had agreed to meet her when she had. She found an unseen area to keep her jet and waited. If there was any Skrull activity, she would be the first to intervene.

However, despite her best efforts to keep her mind on the current situation, it kept drifting to Winter Soldier and her conversation with Heat Strike that morning. It played through her mind like a broken record.

To Widow researching people was no problem. It was straightforward enough if you knew what to look for. Especially considering the woman ran a store. Her ads were in the paper all the time. It was simple enough to dial her office number. And even if she hadn't put her advertisement in the paper Widow could've used her S.H.I.E.L.D resources to hack into her phone.

Widow had told her every detail about the plan. Including the part about getting Winter Soldier a new disguise. She had specifically instructed Heat Strike to tell Winter Soldier everything. Heat Strike had told her she would. Even though Widow knew Heat Strike wasn't a threat as far as Winter Soldier was concerned, she knew that if she didn't detach Heat Strike from Winter Soldier that her chances with him would be nonexistent.

"_I know you have feelings for him," Widow had said near the end of the conversation. She waited a few moments, listening," For Winter Soldier I mean. I saw the report of the mission you did a couple months back. Any amateur could've done something like that."_

_Widow could hear the hesitation in her voice. Even though on the surface Heat Strike sounded calm. As she had suspected," Maybe. But I doubt he cares. What's it to you?" Heat Strike retorted her voice confident._

"_Let's just say I have a use for him. And I don't want you getting in my way." Widow had responded venom leaking in her voice. She had let it leak on purpose. She wanted this woman to know that no matter what, she couldn't win. She wouldn't win._

_Heat Strike scoffed in disbelief," I can't help if a man's affections are one way or another. If you have feelings for him, then you can have him. I'm not going to step down just because you've chosen a new plaything."_

_This last part shocked Widow. She hadn't expected that from Heat Strike. Then again, her father was a retired Marine and Infantry soldier. It wasn't a total surprise. Nonetheless Widow wasn't going to tolerate this from "daddy's little girl."_

"_Listen bitch, I don't care who you are. I know you're a reserve Avenger as of currently. I happen to be friends with the Avengers. If you so much as sneeze in a way I don't like, I can have you kicked out of Manhattan. Understood?"_

_The line went quiet for a few moments. It felt like an eternity passed before Heat Strike spoke. Her voice revealed her insecurity," I'll be there tonight at nine." Then she hung up._

Widow wondered if she had told Winter Soldier. If Heat Strike was the type of woman Widow thought she was, then she wouldn't have. She would keep it to herself. Even though it would eventually end up hurting her. Especially if Widow did end up taking Winter Soldier out to dinner tonight.

Down below Widow heard a noise. She peered down at the empty streets, which were devoid of traffic. Near the warehouse was Heat Strike's motorcycle. She made her way to the streets. She shivered at the feel of the arctic wind against her skin.

Heat Strike and Winter Soldier awaited the arrival of their third party member. The moon had barely begun to rise. In one of the empty alleys across the street came a figure. It was lean and graceful, almost cat-like in its movements. Heat Strike knew it was Widow especially when she came into the light of the crescent moon.

The two women nodded at each other in formal greeting when Widow neared. The stillness encircled the trio. Breaking the silence Winter Soldier cleared this throat.

"So where's my new disguise?" He inquired and she handed him another device similar to the one she had given him the previous night.

"This device works exactly like the one you wore last night. It should also make your voice lower instead of higher." Widow informed him while he fastened it onto his costume.

His image shimmered for a second then took shape. The first detail Widow noticed was that he looked bulkier than usual. His irises were the shade of steel. His regular costume looked like that of a Skrull Commander. Widow noticed that he already had his ear piece in.

"Alright, good luck Winter Soldier. Report back to us in five minutes." Widow said and Winter Soldier nodded. Without another word he left for the warehouse.

The two remained silent and looked at each other. As soon as their gazes met they looked away and avoided the other. In continued muteness they went to their agreed upon location.

Surrounding Winter Soldier as he entered the warehouse were masses of Skrulls. Each group were doing different things to organize for tonight. He found he had to practically cover his ears to drown it out. He found some nearby Skrulls that weren't doing anything and approached them. They looked up at him and saluted him when he neared. He saluted them back and they stood stock still.

"At ease soldiers," He said allowing his U.S military training to take over," I was wondering if I could ask you a couple questions," He said and the Skrulls shared a concerned look. Both nodded and turned back to Winter Soldier," Excellent."

Outside on a nearby rooftop both women shivered in the cold. Widow had her ear piece in. Heat Strike had Widow's field glasses in hand. Just as Widow was about to say something, Winter Soldier broke the silence.

"Winter Soldier reporting. I have more information on the tunnels," He said and Heat Strike put down Widow's field glasses. Heat Strike listened intently to the conversation and Widow nodded in agreement," There's going to be at least thirty Skrulls during the first incursion. Since there are five tunnels they'll be bringing six Skrulls for each tunnel. With the second group they'll be bringing in another thirty. They're also having some of the Skrulls man the warehouses that are directly attached to the Baxter Building."

"That makes sense." Widow said with a small nod.

"I also discovered when they're going to attack. Sometime in the afternoon tomorrow, don't know the exact time. So what's our next move?"

Widow seemed to think about this for a moment. Finally she answered," You're going to have to send those first thirty out. Convince whoever you have to make it happen. I've already warned S.H.I.E.L.D security and the Fantastic four."

_We still have the matter of dealing with the other hundred and twenty Skrulls, _A voice in her mind told her. She shook it off, giving Winter Soldier his next set of directions. Widow noticed Heat Strike shift but didn't react.

Widow let her left leg hang over the building. Her right knee was against her chest. Her arm was wrapped around her leg. Behind her Heat Strike began to pace on the snow covered roof.

Winter Soldier gave an exasperated sigh over the line. Finally he spoke," I'll see what I can do but none of this is going to be very easy. It'll take me at least half the night to convince the other Skrull Commanders to let me do this. Let alone get them into position. I'll update you on my progress. Winter Soldier, out." The line went dead and Heat Strike rejoined her side by Widow.

The wind howled tirelessly. As if reading Widow's thoughts Heat Strike mumbled something. It took Widow a while to understand it and even longer to respond, "Do you think he'll complete his mission?"

Rather than answer it with a real response Widow dodged the question," As long as he completes his part of the job he should be fine. I trust him." She finished, hoping that would be enough to quell the feeling of doubt that spread inside her.

"I do too." Heat Strike muttered after a few seconds and Widow turned to look at her face. It looked like Heat Strike was staring into space. After a few moments Heat Strike turned to look at Widow. Heat Strike's expression told Widow that if anything happened to Winter Soldier something bad would happen. Widow quickly looked away, hoping her seed of doubt didn't grow.

Back in the warehouse Winter Soldier tried to think of the best way to persuade the other Skrull Commanders. Eventually one of them approached him. He looked up and saluted them. They saluted back and he stood straight. He was thankful his military training had helped him somehow.

"Commander W, it's good to see you up and about. You wanted to see me?" She inquired and Winter Soldier nodded.

"I did Commander F. I wanted to see you about the division of soldiers in the upcoming assault. I think we should them now. The humans already know of our plan and if we strike now, we can more than likely free her tonight." Winter Soldier said leading the commander away from the rest of the Skrulls. He found a room and shut the door tightly. He hoped no one would be listening to their conversation.

"How is that?" Commander F questioned folding her arms and placing them behind her. She followed Winter Soldier, taking the bait.

"I heard that the humans are already expecting our assault tomorrow night. If we position our soldiers early we might be able to surprise them." Winter Soldier replied not revealing how he knew this information. Commander F eyed him skeptically but said nothing. After a while she nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough, then. We'll move our assault ahead. I'll move our troops tonight and keep you posted." Commander F said and both stopped to listen. Outside the room it sounded like there was a scuffle.

Winter Soldier turned to the door and gave a weary sigh," I'll deal with it. Let me know when you've got all the soldiers deployed. We'll move as soon as that happens." And with that he was gone.

Outside both Widow and Heat Strike were on the rooftop waiting Winter Soldier's report with anxiety. The wind had died down substantially. New snow had fallen and more was falling. It had been almost a half hour since Winter Soldier had last spoken. Widow pressed a tentative finger to her ear. Heat Strike paced her entire body tensed.

"Winter Soldier, what's your status?" Questioned Widow cautiously hoping he wasn't talking with another Skrull.

A grunt came from the other end. It sounded like Winter Soldier was struggling. So apparently Winter Soldier had gotten into a fight. But who with?

Inside the warehouse Winter Soldier was breaking up a fight between two Skrull soldiers. He didn't know what the argument had been about. And at this point he didn't really care. He heard Widow's question despite the commotion around him.

He shoved one of the soldiers on the ground. Grunting he retorted," A little busy right now," He twisted the other soldier's wrist and thrust him away. He hoped no one continued this fight," But yes, I did manage to send the Skrull force early. There should be thirty Skrulls heading to the Baxter Building right now."

Out of his peripheral vision Winter Soldier saw one of the Skrulls take out a gun. These Skrulls didn't go down very easily.

Both women were uneasy when they heard the gun shot. The sound of a bullet hitting Winter Soldier quickly reached their ears. Followed by the gun shot was the sound of someone punching someone else. Apprehension flooded through Heat Strike and Widow as well. However, Widow knew she couldn't let it overwhelm her completely.

"Winter Soldier what happened?" Widow asked her entire body tensing up. She observed Heat Strike's reaction. Her red eyes were full of ire and her fists were clenched tightly.

Winter Soldier groaned before he rejoined," I was breaking up a fight between two soldiers. I think one of the men pulled out a gun then another tried to hit me. I'm leaving the warehouse right now but a large group of Skrulls are following me."

"Be careful Winter Soldier." Widow commanded and stopped short when she saw movement from her left side. She heard the sound of heels scraping against the rooftop. She figured it was just Heat Strike pacing again. But when she heard Heat Strike jump down she knew it wasn't. Widow gave a frustrated sigh.

Inside the Skrull base Winter Soldier was making his exit. His mind played back the expression of the confused look of the Skrull when it had realized that its bullet hadn't wounded Winter Soldier. The Skrull that had punched him in the gut lie on the floor behind Winter Soldier.

He moved quickly down the hall. The only fortunate thing was that they were far behind him. Sadly, they weren't too far behind him. His eyes scanned the hall to see if he could find a place to hide.

In the distance Winter Soldier thought he saw a light. It was dim at first then grew in brightness. However, as he neared the light he felt heat coming from it. He stopped and covered his eyes. He knew what was coming.

He continued to skim around the hallway. He heard the Skrulls nearing even now. He stopped, pulling out his own weapon. If he was going to fight he wanted to make it fair. He waited for the other Skrulls to surround him.

"So Commander W, why did you have our other agents move ahead?" One of them questioned with his gun at the ready. The others did the same.

"To help assure the Skrull's victory. I want Veranke back as much as you do." Winter Soldier replied hoping his lie would allow him the chance to escape quickly.

Just before one of the Skrulls was about to speak, a voice reached his ears. It was familiar and sounded concerned. He and the Skrulls turned to see Heat Strike. Her hair was windblown and she shivered only slightly.

"Winter Soldier I-"She stopped and looked around at her situation. There were Skrulls encompassing Winter Soldier. They all turned to her. Winter Soldier looked up at Heat Strike. She looked distressed and flustered. Her face was flushed and she panted heavily.

"This must be one of his cohorts!" One of the Skrulls shouted.

Let's get her!" One of the Skrull soldiers exclaimed pointing his gun at her. Before anyone could react the Skrull raised his gun. He shot at Heat Strike. It hit her spot on and she hunched over on her knees.

Swiftly Winter Soldier pushed through the circle of Skrulls. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. He put his weapon in its holster and picked Heat Strike up bridal style. Racing ahead he found an alcove.

"I can walk," Groaned Heat Strike with a cough. Winter Soldier immediately spotted the wound. It was a deep crimson and located underneath her chest," It hurts like hell but I'll manage."

Winter Soldier placed Heat Strike on the ground as soon as they reached the alcove. There was a door and the space was tight. It would do at least for now. That was until they could ditch the Skrulls.

Winter Soldier opened the door in the alcove. The two stepped into the undersized, constricting supply room. With the door closed the couple were practically touching. Their breathing was heavy and they were exhausted. The Skrulls were approaching fast. The two were still breathing heavily when the Skrulls passed. Their screams and shouts ricocheted off the room. They passed by the room rapidly. The couple gave a sigh of relief.

"How's your wound?" Winter Soldier inquired pulling a material out of his pocket and handing it to her. Without hesitation Heat Strike took it and applied it to her wound.

"It's still throbbing like hell. How are you?" She countered as the two leaned closer to each other. Their heartbeats sped up considerably.

"I've been worse," He whispered with a grin as the distance between the duo grew smaller. He stopped suddenly and his hand went down to her wound. Her flesh was warm and he pulled it away," You're burning up."

Heat Strike nodded and Winter Soldier went to open the door. He cracked it open just slightly and listened. For a minute or so he heard nothing but the stark stillness. He pushed the door all the way open and turned to Heat Strike," Hey Heat Strike, we can go now."

He gasped when he saw the still form of Heat Strike. Her head was turned to the side and her eyes were closed. In the light of the hallway she looked paler than before.

_Shit, poison! _He thought rushing to pick her up. She was surprisingly light as Winter Soldier shut the door. This was going to be difficult especially if the Skrulls came back.

Outside the warehouse Widow was on the lawn waiting for Winter Soldier. Hopefully, Heat Strike hadn't been foolish enough to go in. If so then she wasn't sure how Winter Soldier would do. She had attempted to contact Winter Soldier various times before leaving the rooftop. Just as she was about to head in Winter Soldier appeared on the lawn. His feet crunched under the newly fallen snow. And from what Widow could see he held Heat Strike in his arms.

Widow half rushed to him then stopped when she saw the expression on his countenance. She pushed her emotions to the side and stopped where she was. She mentally cursed herself for allowing Heat Strike to run into the fray.

"Is she-?" Widow stopped not knowing what had happened to her. From what Widow could tell, she looked extremely pale. Her breathing was gradually slowing down.

"She's poisoned as far as I can tell but I don't know what kind they used. She's also bleeding pretty badly." Winter Soldier replied taking off his disguise and tossing it to her. She caught it and nodded solemnly. That would explain the pale face and rapidly slowing heart rate.

"I can take her to S.H.I.E.L.D and send for a medic. It shouldn't take them very long to cure her." Widow said following Winter Soldier as he headed towards Heat Strike's motorcycle.

Winter Soldier whirled to face Widow. His face revealed ire," Don't pretend like I don't know what you did Widow. I know you blackmailed her," When her countenance exposed shock he continued," And she didn't have to tell me anything. She's just not very good at hiding her emotions from me." His expression changed from anger to anxiety in a split second. Slowly he leaned down and kissed Heat Strike gently on the mouth. The kiss was relatively short but Widow got the message.

She repressed a shudder then wished she hadn't. He continued his way to her motorcycle. Without looking back he called to her," And I'm taking her to the Avengers. She's their teammate, they should know. Maybe they'll be able to heal her."

And without another word he left Widow to her thoughts. She should've expected Winter Soldier to figure it out eventually. She hadn't, however, expected Heat Strike to be so easy to read. She let out a tired sigh and headed in the opposite direction. She would be surprised if Winter Soldier ever spoke to her again. The spark of rage in his eyes had shocked Widow immensely.

Widow struggled to think of something else. The plan, until tonight, had been going well. He had diverted gotten the Skrulls moved. Now all they had to do was get rid of the remaining soldiers. It shouldn't be that hard but Widow knew not to underestimate the situation. She knew that if one got cocky an entire plan could fail. Like her idea to get with Winter Soldier. Which had failed miserably and Widow knew it.

Back inside the warehouse the party of Skrulls continued to search for Winter Soldier. Unbeknownst to them, he had already escaped with Heat Strike. When they reached the place where they had begun Commander F waited for them. Her hands on her hips in a very human-like gesture. The party stopped in its tracks.

"Stop right there or all of you will be executed for treason," She let out a weary sigh shaking her head in dismay. The Skrulls looked at one another in shock," Since you all have excused Commander W of treason, and have no proof, you're all demoted. I want each of you to head to the various locations and make certain our men have reached their positions."

"Sir yes sir!" They replied not wanting to cause further trouble and did as they were told. Commander F watched them as they went. Her thoughts, however, wandered to Commander W. He had been acting odd, arriving late to headquarters and then leaving so early. She decided to investigate the activities of Commander W. She made her way to one of the communications and technology rooms.

Hours later Winter Soldier and Heat Strike were back at Heat Strike's house. The Avengers had taken care of Heat Strike's wound. Apparently, one of their team members had been a medic for S.H.I.E.L.D. The wound had been wrapped heavily and the poison cleared.

Currently; the two were in Zara's living room. He hadn't bothered to change since arriving at Zara's house. Zara was on the couch, her face gaining more color by the minute. Her head was propped up by a small pillow. She had survived the poison and the antidote was kicking in.

James sat in a small chair beside her. His arms hung over the back and his hands dangled on the carpeted floor. He hadn't bothered to change into his disguise. He stared at her unconscious body unable to look away.

She was still in her costume, her bare arms resting against her chest. A red blanket covered most of her body. Her hair rested just slightly past her chest. Her choker, which she wore constantly, was prominently present through her ginger curls. Her chest rose and fell evenly now.

His eyes turned from the sight of her on the couch to the brightening light coming from outside. Dawn was approaching quickly. The shades of orange, yellow, pink, and plum greeted him. The sunshine glittered off the snow and making sparkle. Just faintly, James heard her moan. He turned to her mentally giving thanks.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. James could see the exhaustion in them. He adjusted the pillow when she sat up. He noticed the way she tentatively moved," How are you feeling?"

She groaned as she leaned her head against the couch. She pulled the blanket up to her lap," I've been a hell of a lot better. What happened?" She asked, wincing when she tried to get off the couch. She sat back down, her injury preventing her from moving too strenuously. And for that James was grateful.

After a few moments he noticed her eyes searching his face. He shook his head, trying to put on his best poker face," Well I infiltrated the Skrull headquarters again last night and the Skrulls somehow learned I wasn't a Skrull. Then they tried to fight me and you came in and attempted to save me. They shot you with a poisoned bullet and I took you to the Avengers."

Zara nodded, taking in what James had said. Her eyes were down on her blanket then looked up at him," How long have I been out? What's our next move?" She croaked then cleared her throat.

"To answer your first question, I would say several hours at the very least." He rejoined when she moved to the edge of the couch. She tossed the blanket aside. He watched her slowly push herself off the couch. She didn't fall this time but that didn't mean her wound was any less tender. He hid his true feelings at her action and continued," As for our next move I don't know. Widow hasn't contacted us yet."

Zara nodded as she slowly made her way to the kitchen. James noticed the way she carried herself. It was careful and deliberate so as to not reinjure herself. He followed her in case she hurt herself," You know you're going to hurt yourself if you keep exerting pressure on that, you know that right Zara?" He questioned hoping she might agree to sit down and let him make breakfast for once. However, no such luck.

She turned to him, a determined fire in her red eyes. Nodding once she recommenced her way to the kitchen," I understand that James Barnes, but somebody here has to make breakfast. And I sure as hell don't want you cooking in my kitchen."

James let out a mental sigh of relief. A small smirk escaped his lips," No you don't." Even though he somewhat knew how to cook he wasn't going to argue. If Zara wanted to push herself, then that was fine with him. He wasn't going to be the one to help her if she forced herself too far. Then again, James knew he would whether he wanted to.

A few minutes later the whiff of bacon drew James to the table. Since then he had put on his grey hooded sweat shirt and jeans. Zara kept staring at his muscles, which were nicely accentuated by the sweatshirt. Since waking up Zara had washed her injury and had rewrapped it. It throbbed less when she sat down but still hurt.

"How's your side?" James inquired when both were seated at the table. Zara had since changed into a dark pair of jeans and red long sleeve shirt. Her red eyes, which glowed in the dining room light, looked down at the plate of waffles in front of her.

She took a large bite before answering him. She waited for him to finish drinking his coffee before she responded," Still throbbing but it doesn't hurt as much it did earlier." He knew she wasn't lying by the look in her eyes.

_Damn, this is good coffee, _He thought swallowing his cup quickly. Before he knew it Zara was pouring him more. To keep the conversation going he continued. He knew Zara would want to hear about it. He also knew it would be a good distraction

" I got the Skrulls to move to their positions early. Widow already has S.H.I.E.L.D and the Fantastic Four on the case."

Zara nodded and continued to eat. She didn't seem moved by this news. James was tempted to tell her about his conversation with Widow. However, he didn't want to bring it up now. James figured it was best to let her know when the time was right. He could tell she was watching him because occasionally she would glimpse up from her waffles.

At that moment in time James felt his pocket vibrate. He pushed his chair away from the table and pulled a device out of his pocket. Putting it in his ear he turned it on.

"This is Winter Soldier, what's your status?" He said walking to where he thought the bathroom was. He walked until he reached a door at the end of the hallway. He stopped short feeling confused.

Zara could hear his frustrated sigh from the dining room. Slowly she rose from her seat and went into the hallway. He must've heard her from behind because he turned to face her. She opened the door of the restroom and he nodded in appreciation.

Zara headed back to her seat. However, when James closed the door she decided to listen. She leaned closer to the door and pressed her ear against it. With a grin she couldn't help but pry in on James's conversation.

Inside the restroom James was supporting himself against the wall. He listened to Widow's report closely," This is the Black Widow. S.H.I.E.L.D and the Fantastic Four have captured the Skrulls you sent. A group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents was sent early this morning to dispatch the rest," there was a pause in the line and quietly Widow voiced her question," How's Heat Strike?"

"The Avengers were able to heal her. Apparently they used a very rare Skrull poison. It's also very dangerous and aggressive. The bullet hit underneath her chest. It broke three ribs but fortunately they were able to fix that. They had to give her a lot of anesthetics." James said still remembering the events of that early morning.

"That's good that she survived," Widow replied evenly. Her tone implied indifference even though an undercurrent of emotion said differently. The next time she spoke her expression sounded wounded," Winter Soldier, James, I just wanted you to know-"

However James didn't want to hear it. He knew what she was going to say. And he didn't want to hear it," I know, Widow. You don't have to tell me. Before you object I'm abandoning this mission. It seems you and S.H.I.E.L.D have it under control. That and Heat Strike is supposed to be resting for another couple of weeks. I'll have you pick up your supplies from Heat Strike's house. It's not far from the warehouse, just hang a left and keep driving until you see a red house. You should be able to find it easily. Winter Soldier out."

He turned off the communication device and put it back in his pocket. He made his way back to the table. As he sat down he noticed Zara finishing the rest of her waffle. By the way she tried to avoid his gaze he knew she had been eavesdropping. He didn't allow her to know that he knew show on his face. In another five seconds he downed his second glass of black coffee.

The rest of breakfast went by without so much as a whisper. James had three more cups of coffee before he was officially done. After breakfast he went to the couch to watch television. In the dining room he could hear Zara typing on a laptop. There were stacks of papers around her, probably bills she had to pay.

For the third time during the second inning James let out a lion of a yawn. Even though he had tried his best to stifle it Zara still turned to him. He could tell it hurt her to do so. Eventually she got out of the chair and stood near the couch. It was on a commercial break and usually James didn't pay attention to those.

"How late were you up last night?" She implied carefully stretching her arms upward so as not to reinjure herself.

He shrugged nonchalantly," I don't know. The entire night. Does it really matter? "He asked hoping she would drop the subject. He felt her presence almost instantly on the couch next to him. He could feel her begin to relax.

"Because this is the third time you've yawned this inning. And during the beginning of the game when they were announcing you were half asleep." She justified and sometimes James wished she didn't sound like such a smart ass.

He opened his mouth to present an argument and she looked at him. Her countenance displayed smug sarcasm and James knew he'd lost. He heaved out a large defeated sigh.

"Fine. As long as you rest too. You're the one with three broken ribs." He said matter-of-factly knowing it would piss her off. When she finally got off the couch James let out a silent cry of victory. He knew that for this moment he had won.

The unexpected happened when James heard Zara's footsteps upstairs then come down the stairs. He noticed that she carried a large pillow and blanket.

Instead of handing them to him she threw them as forcefully as she could. James chuckled under his breath as Zara struggled not to rewound herself. She didn't say another word and went back to typing on her laptop.

James watched her sit down in a huff and grinned to himself. He turned off the TV and placed the pillow under his head. The blanket was soft and covered his entire body. He pulled it over and closed his eyes.

About two hours later James thought he heard the sounds of someone else snoring close to him. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was still on the couch where he had originally fallen asleep. He groaned stretching his arms up over his head.

After several seconds James focused his eyesight on the middle of the living room. Lying under a blanket with her red hair sticking out was Zara, who looked very comfortable. Her body was scrunched up tightly and she was muttering in her sleep. James blushed, hearing his name many times over, as he tip toed to the bathroom. He knew Zara wouldn't like it but he knew it was his time to go.

A few minutes later he crept out of the restroom in his costume. He had the clothes Zara had given him folded neatly in his hands. He thought of which exit he should take and decided on the front door. It would be quieter and stood less of a chance of waking Zara. He placed the clothes on the couch and sneaked past Zara.

His hand had just pulled the door towards him when he heard her stir. His movement amplified in speed. Before he could make his escape he heard Zara moan. When she spoke her voice was groggy sounding. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her get up from her makeshift bed.

"Don't go. Please don't go James." She pleaded desperately and James turned to face her. She stood with her arms crossed over her abdomen. Her red locks hung around her shoulders, accenting her choker nicely. The beseeching in her eyes made James not wanting to go that much more arduous and discomforting. She said the only words that James himself didn't have the courage to say," I love you."

He sighed tiredly trying to find an acceptable explanation for his leaving, "I can't stay, Zara." He said taking her hands in his. They were small yet sturdy and he held them tightly.

He looked into her eyes which were still imploring him. Then he did the only thing he could think of that would be right at the moment. His hands moved to the sides of her face. Before he could stop himself his face leaned down to hers.

Her face leaned up to his and she closed her eyes. Soon his lips brushed against hers. His mouth held hers, not wanting to ever let go. Not wanting to ever leave. James felt but didn't look as Zara wrapped her arms around his neck. He would've held her if he knew it wouldn't have hurt her.

The kiss was tender and sweet. Before he wanted to James ended the kiss. His cheeks grew warm along with Zara's. The frigid January air reminded James of his mission. He pulled away from Zara slowly and reluctantly.

"I have to go now," He said and Zara nodded in solemn agreement. James pointed towards the couch," I left my clothes on the couch. Hope you don't mind."

Zara shook her headed and grabbed them," Keep them. I don't really need them and I have tons more." She handed them to him and he nodded in thanks. Then without another word he left into the frosty January morning.

Zara watched him as he went. She immediately went to the window next to the door. She peered out and hugged herself. His boots crunched in the snow of that busy winter morning. The swirling of new snow would've made it hard for most people to see.

But this wasn't so with Zara. Her father had trained her to stare down a target from far away.

Zara turned away from the window sadly. Her time with Winter Soldier, James, had been brief. She'd known that from the beginning. So why did it hurt so damn much? The question repeated itself in her mind but she was given no clear response.

She took her pillow and blanket back upstairs. Taking James's pillow and blanket she took his position on the couch. Sitting with her legs folded inwards she turned on the TV. However even television couldn't keep her mind from drifting. From drifting to the kiss that she had experienced only moments ago near her front door.

Her mind ran over every element of the kiss. The way his hands had felt when they'd cradled her face with gentleness and care. The spark of hope she'd felt that maybe, just maybe, this kiss would make him want to stay. The way his lips had carefully fitted to hers. The sweet taste his mouth had left on hers. The thoughts still made Zara a little dizzy nevertheless that wasn't what Zara kept thinking about.

Even though she hadn't looked into his eyes the thought kept running over and over again in her mind. It was the color of his eyes.

During his time as a "Skrull" his eyes had been a light metallic grey color. It wasn't his true eye color but sometimes, even when he wasn't a Skrull, Zara saw the tint flash in his eyes briefly then disappear.

The other color, which was his original pigment, was blue. And not just any blue either. The lightest shade of blue you could think of. It was the shade of the sky on a cloudless day. It was the hue of the ocean before the storm.

Zara would debate with herself which one was his true hue. It was either metallic silvery or light blue. Eventually Zara gave up but she knew, deep down, what the true colors of his eyes were. She kept these thoughts to herself as she enjoyed the warmth and comfort of her home. Her eyes however strayed to her computer desk to Winter Soldier's equipment, which he had put there before his nap.

Back at Fury's warehouse Black Widow had secluded herself in one of Fury's interrogation rooms. She hadn't exactly bawled her eyes out but had done the equivalent. The training dummy in one of the practice rooms had bullet holes throughout it.

Despite her best efforts to attract Winter Soldier she had failed. She had failed miserably and she knew it. The conversation she had had with him this morning had confirmed it and not just because he had sounded curt with her.

Nonetheless she knew she still had work to do. She left the warehouse without so much as a backward glance. She knew Quake would want to ask her questions later. Widow looked forward to confiding in the mutant special ops, even though she wouldn't appreciate receiving the third degree.

Once she reached the garage of the warehouse she looked around at the different transportation devices. She decided to take a small motorcycle, seeing as a jet would be too inconspicuous. She would also need to disguise herself if she wouldn't want to get noticed.

In five minutes she was on the road. She kept her mind blank as she drove. She didn't need any more distractions. At least not after what had happened the last time she had been distracted.

Not too far from Widow's location was the Skrull warehouse. Inside the warehouse S.H.I.E.L.D agents and Skrull battling each other. Many of the Skrulls had already been captured and taken to 42.

"I told you that other commander was a mistake. He was a spy! He was sent to infiltrate us by those damned humans." Shouted the male commander over the ruckus of the battle and leaned closer to Commander F.

Commander F gritted her teeth and threw a grenade at the large group of agents. They spread out just as it was thrown," I know and understand that. But right now that's not our problem. Right now we have to finish off these humans and then we'll get our revenge on Winter Soldier." With the last word she spit it out, cursing his existence.

The grenade exploded and Skrull soldiers went everywhere. There was a lot of heavy, black smoke surrounding them. The two commanders attempted to run but were eventually caught by S.H.I.E.L.D agents.

Far away from the Skrull warehouse there was a large airport. It was packed with people on business trips, families coming back from vacation, and couples either coming or going. Babies were crying and kids were whining, pulling on their mothers or fathers pant legs impatiently. Older kids, mostly teenagers, were either on their phones texting or talking. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Lines were everywhere. Whether it was for customs, passports, or for the bathrooms all were long and growing more impatient. In one line there was a man wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt. The hood covered most of his face, which made it hard for the young woman checking tickets to communicate with him.

She had sunshine hair with small, kinky curls. They almost reminded him of Zara's curls but they weren't nearly as pretty or colossal. He handed her his ticket and she glanced at it briefly. Nodding she handed it back to him and stepped away from the doorway.

"Enjoy your flight, sir." She said politely plastering a smile on her face.

At this moment in time the man lifted his hood ever so slightly from his face. His medium brunet hair looked stunning. His smile was genuine and the woman looked to his eyes. For the most part, they appeared to be a very light shade of blue. But for a split second there was a tinge of silver to them that hadn't been there before.

"Thank you ma'am," He said taking back his ticket and pulling his zipper up," I will." He said and vanished through the doorway before anything else could be said.

_Disclaimer-I own nothing except my own characters so please ask before you use them!_


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